Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves

This is a DI Vera Stanhope novel. 

A few days before Christmas Margaret Krukowski is stabbed and killed on the Metro.  Detective Joe Ashworth is in the same carriage as Margaret when she is stabbed.  The carriage is packed with people commuting home from work, Christmas shoppers and school children.  No-one saw Margaret being stabbed.  

As Vera and Joe start to investigate Margaret's murder they uncover interesting information about her past.  For many years Margaret had lived in the same Harbour Street house in the town of Mardle.  A lot of the residents of Mardle have been there, and known each other, for years.  They are very good at keeping each other's secrets.  

A few days later a second women is murdered.  She had also been on the same train as Margaret.  Vera and Joe need to find all the connections between the two women and track down the murderer.  

Some of Ann Cleeves' Vera Stanhope novels have been televised.  I have not seen any of these, but having now read one of her books and enjoyed the story, I will look out for the next series. 

The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop by Abby Clements

This book is the sequel to 'Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop' which I read a couple of years ago.  

Anna and her partner Matteo are still running Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop under the arches on the sea front in Brighton.  Anna's sister Imogen helps out occasionally, but has set up her own photography business.  This often takes her travelling to other countries on assignments.  

Matteo misses his family in Italy and so he and Anna decide to go to Italy for 6 months, set up another ice cream parlour, and see how the new venture works out for them.  They decide to settle in Sorrento as this is not too close to Matteo's family, who are also in the ice cream business, and is somewhere that Granny V had visited and talked about a lot. 

When Imogen's next assignment falls through she panics at the thought that she might have to settle down and stay in one place and so goes off to Italy to visit Anna.  Whilst there she also wants to track down a man she has found mentioned in some of Granny V's old paperwork and letters.  Had Vivien been keeping secrets from the family? 

Bookends by Jane Green

Cath and Si have been friends since they met at university.  Now in their early thirties they are both still single and both unlucky in love.  Cath has given up looking for a man and enjoys spending time with her friends, whereas Si is desperate to find a perfect man for himself.  They have kept in regular contact with Josh who was also one of their university group of friends.  

Following an evening at university when Portia broke Josh's heart, the group slowly lost contact with her.  Ten years later Cath, Si and Josh meet her again.  Josh is now happily married to Lucy, but Si is convinced that Portia will set her sights on getting Josh back for herself.  

Cath has always had a secret ambition to run a bookshop and cafe.  Lucy, who is a fabulous cook, convinces Cath that they should go into business together.  Lucy can make the cakes and look after the cafe and Cath can look after the books.  

With the opening of the new 'Bookends' business, and the reappearance of Portia, life suddenly takes some unexpected turns for the group of friends.  

This is an easy read, chick-lit type book.  The friendships of the people in the group and how they support each other is the main theme running through the story. 

Other books I have read by Jane Green are 'Girl Friday', 'Second Chance', 'The Accidental Husband' and 'The Beach House'.  I also have 'Life Swap' on my bookshelf still to read.